Kansas City firefighter found not guilty of spitting on black child, using racial slur

A Kansas City firefighter accused of spitting on a 3-year-old boy, threatening the boy’s grandfather and calling the child a racial slur was found not guilty on all charges related to the incident on Wednesday.

District court Judge Cynthia Cornwell found Terrence “Jeremy” Skeen, 42, not guilty of battery, assault and disorderly conduct after more than five hours of testimony, The Kansas City Star reported. Cornwell found the witnesses’ statements contradictory.

Surveillance video footage did not capture the key moments in the confrontation, according to the paper.

The incident occurred Feb. 26 at a Hooters restaurant in Overland Park, Kan., where an African-American family was celebrating a birthday. A patron told Raymond Harris that he witnessed Skeen spit on Harris’ grandson when the boy wandered away from the group.

Harris testified Wednesday that when he confronted Skeen, the off-duty firefighter called his grandson a derogatory term and threatened to shoot him, the Star reported.

Two Hooters customers who said they didn’t know Harris backed up portions of his story. One said he heard Skeen use a racial slur and make a spitting motion; the other said he heard Skeen threaten Harris.